Wong: Transportation and good health

We know that transportation is about access to jobs and housing, economic competitiveness, convenience and quality of life, and our environment.

Samuel S. Wong/Guest columnist

We know that transportation is about access to jobs and housing, economic competitiveness, convenience and quality of life, and our environment.

Transportation is also about our health. Our transportation system – the roadways, bridges, regional transit systems, the MBTA, sidewalks, and bike lanes across the Commonwealth – can have a profound impact on our health that we seldom pause to consider.

For instance, while countless Bay Staters have forgotten their New Year’s resolution designating this as the Year of the Treadmill, millions of residents are focusing on tried and true (and entirely free) workout plan: walking to the bus or train, walking to work or the store, or hopping on a bike to get to their destination. Here in Hudson, many of our residents from downtown area rely on the Assabet River Rail Trail to get to grocery shops during warmer months.

Research shows again and again that people who take public transit walk many times further each day than those bound only to cars. On average, those who walk to and from the train or bus come close, just during their commute, to achieving the 22 minutes per day of moderate physical activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet this opportunity for a healthier lifestyle will continue to be out of reach of many in Hudson and other MetroWest communities if we do not adequately fund the MetroWest RTA and the MBTA, and enable them to expand service to underserved communities.

For people who live close to destinations, walking has shown to be both a great option and an economic boon – but only if the route is well maintained and safe for pedestrians. Research shows that nearly half of us will walk up to a mile to get to church or school and 35 percent of us will walk up to a mile to work. Biking as a mode of transportation has seen a steady increase across the Commonwealth – but especially in places that support safe routes for cyclists through bike lanes and other means. Our towns and cities recognize the value of more and better sidewalks and bike routes, but they struggle to keep up with the most basic road maintenance. Increasing transportation funding that goes directly to municipalities will unlock the potential for better and safer biking and walking in our neighborhoods.

Increased walking and biking has a direct impact on health, including lower body mass index and decreased risk of obesity and hypertension. Each of these conditions can lead to a host of negative health outcomes - from type II diabetes to heart disease. These conditions are costly to both the patient and to society at large, and reducing their frequency offers Massachusetts the possibility of billions in savings in health care costs, according to a 2012 report from Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

But that’s not all. For every new trip made by public transit, on foot, or by bike, that means less emissions, better air quality, and better health outcomes for people with respiratory conditions like asthma. It means fewer injuries and deaths from traffic accidents and increased safety for all road users, including motorists.

We’re making progress, with projects such as Rt. 85/Washington Street reconstruction in Hudson, our residents will be able to walk and bike to retail shops safer. It will finally connect the Assabet River Rail Trail to sidewalks along our business district.

But, on the whole, this balance is in danger of being upset, as our infrastructure deteriorates more and more with each passing year. In addition to numerous bridges in dire need of repair/rebuild, many of our MetroWest towns still do not have any public transit service.

When public transit, walking, and biking options are unavailable, unsafe, or unaffordable, more of us will opt for the slog through traffic as the best way to get to work or to the store. Every time this happens, we lose minutes of physical activity, increase harmful emissions, and increase the risks from traffic accidents. For residents without access to a car, it might mean missing that medical appointment or doing the shopping at a corner store stocked with processed foods rather than making the trip to the produce section at the grocery store.

If we want to keep public transit, walking, and biking attractive to commuters, it is critical that we invest in a 21st century transportation system today. For the health of the Commonwealth and of MetroWest, the time for action is now.

Samuel S. Wong, PhD, REHS, is director of Public and Community Health Services for the town of Hudson.

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